News from the Bellbrook High School newspaper class

France Under New Rule

by Jaimie Franz

France has recently elected a new president, Emmanuel Macron. Macron won the election by a landslide of 66% of the votes, compared to his running mate, Marine Le Pen, with only 34%. The young 39 year old president, the youngest leader in France since Napoleon, has promised to unify the country of France and revise the economy, two promises throughout his campaign, stating, “I am terrible optimistic… because I know when I see you, when I see our movement, I know we will succeed…We will succeed in unifying the French and reconciling France.”

This ambitious President also has quite a bit of publicity to his name with the 24 yr age gap between him and his wife. They met when she directed his high school play, he was 16 and she was 40, married with kids. He went away for university but returned to marry her when he was 30. Throughout his campaign for Presidency, they have been very public about their relationship, despite their unconventional love story. He told Vanity Fair “She will be there, with a role and a place.”

Macron is setting the example that France will stand out and will be different then any other country. America’s President Donald Trump has publicly tweeted that he looks forward to working with Macron, the only real question is, is how the two men will work together with their conflicting views and ages.